St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-17
TRACING MISSING GIRLS
The First Step i'm the Down ward
Path..Detectives, Findings EEK.
planned

The First Step in the Down ward
path. Detectives' Findings Ex-
planned.
! Philadelphia Press.
Whenever young girl is missing from
home the first search is made i'll the dives.
1t wasn't always so, but since they have
been shaken by attacks from newspapers
and vigilant organizations the proprietors
aid the police to capture the erring girl
when strayed from home into their haunts.
This is called doing the square thing"
No matter her aye or how long they have
harbored her; no matter how often they
have thrown her distressed relatives off the
trail. the officer as soon as he comes must
get the straight tip"
This is the straight tip" A detective
from the Central station enters one of the
dives. The hour is late and revelry at its
height. He scans in vain tine faces of scores
OF women daubed with paint, sees young
face or two, but shakes his head and calls
to the proprietor: Billy, l want YOU"
Billy comes with speed. The detective
flashes the photograph of pretty young
girl on him and asks: Has she been here?"
Billy" studies.
Detective-Now | don't want any funny
business from you, dye hear?
Billy" coming around quickly. mo!
No! L Wouldn't throw you off; | was just
thinking. l remember that fairy has been
here. L know where she stops and I'll
steer you right on to her."
The officer, having got straight tip"
makes all appointment with Billy for the
next day and keeps it. He is told to be on
a certain corner at a certain hour. He
obeyS, and in a short time the girl he is
looking for passes him decoyed from her
lodgings by message from the dive
keeper. The officer Joins her. talks to her
| pleasantly to avoid excitement. and finally
quietly informs her she is under arrest.
| She is taken to the nearest district station,
her relatives informed of the capture and
how BILLY" did the square thing. and like
as not the next day finds her the inmate of
an institution for the fallen
Such Institutions are filled with the kind
of girls the dives have made.
HOW THE NOVICE Is RECEIVED.
The debut of a new girl in the dives is
always signal for great JOY. harder drink
ing and extra music. The older creatures
generally waltz into the dives. They catch
the drift of the music in the hallway la
beled Ladies' Entrance and reach the
room with skip and toss of the head that
brings smile of approval from the silly
type OF MANKIND there with the eXclama-
ton: 'Ain't she devl!"
Not so with the novice-the new girl
missing from home. It's her first dive, and
a header to ruin. She hears the music.
stops in front of the entrance. looks timidly
up and down the street and takes the step.
Inside the narrow entry she feels the wall
and stumbles along past drunken men and
women. Reaching the room she sinks
quickly into the first vacant seat, but every
eye has caught her. She doesn't sit by her
self long, and the new wears off before the
night is over. Women who run low houses
go through the dives in search of the girls
| An officer who has made study of the
! matter told press reporter that two nights
in dive will tear any girl from her home
and wreck her; that any girl who goes to a
dive can do nothing else.
There are scores OF young girls reported
missing from their homes in this city and
| suburbs every month, aud if ever recovered
a large per cent. OF them are traced through
the dives
A notable instance was that of young
woman who disappeared from her home in
a rural district barely four months ago.
The family was thoroughly respectable, and
the matter was kept as obscure as possible
The ponds in the vicinity were dragged,
and at last the case was reported in this
city. After a months tireless searching
she was traced through dive to house
way up town, and all the inmates had TO be
placed under arrest before they would be-
| tray her to the authorities.